English translation
6408. Narrated Abū Hurairah رضي الله عنه: (1) (Ch. 65) I deem Allāh above all those unsuitable things ascribed to Him and free Him resembling anything whatsoever in any respect, and I glorify His Praises. (Also see glossary for Subhān Allāh.) Allāh's Messenger ﷺ said, "Allāh has some angels who look for those who remember (glorify the Praises of) Allāh on the roads and paths. And when they find some people remembering (glorifying the Praises of) Allāh, they call each other, saying, 'Come to the object of your pursuit.'" He added, "Then the angels encircle them with their wings up to the nearest heaven to us." He added, "[After those people remembered (glorified the Praises of) Allāh, and the angels go back to Allāh], their Lord عَزَّ وَجَلَّ asks them (those angels) — though He knows better than them — 'What do My slaves say?' The angels reply, 'They say: Subhān Allāh, Allāhu-Akbar, and Al-Hamdu-lillāh'. Allāh then says, 'Did they see Me?' The angels reply, 'No! By Allāh, they didn't see You.' Allāh says, 'How it would have been if they saw me?' The angels reply, 'If they saw You, they would worship You more devoutly and remember You (glorify Your Praises) more deeply, and declare Your freedom from any resemblance to anything more often.' Allāh says (to the angels), 'What do they ask Me for?' The angels reply, 'They ask You for Paradise.' Allāh says (to the angels), 'Did they see it?' The angels say, 'No! By Allāh, O Lord! They did not see it.' Allāh says, 'How it would have been if they saw it?' The angels say, 'If they saw it, they would have greater covetousness for it and would seek it with greater zeal and would have greater desire for it.' Allāh says, 'From what do they seek refuge?' The angels reply, 'They seek refuge from the (Hell) Fire.' Allāh says, 'Did they see it?' The angels say, 'No! By Allāh, O Lord! They did not see it.' Allāh says, 'How it would have been if they saw it?' The angels say, 'If they saw it they would flee from it with the extreme fleeing and would have extreme fear from it.' Then Allāh says, 'I make you witnesses that I have forgiven them.” (Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ added: “One of the angels would say, ‘There was so-and-so amongst them, and he was not one of them, but he had just come for some need.’ Allāh would say, ‘These are those people whose companions will not be reduced to misery.’”)